Why will my laminate planks not click together properly?
A joint that will not close, or opens again as soon as you move on, has a short list of causes — and almost none of them are the plank you are holding.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 30 min
- Read
- 3 min
Short answer
Check three things before blaming the plank: debris in the groove, a row behind you that is not straight, and a subfloor that is not flat. A joint will not close if the previous row is bowed, and it will not stay closed if the floor rocks on a high spot underneath.
The frustrating part of this problem is that the plank in your hands feels like the problem, so people hit it harder. Hitting it harder crushes the profile, and then it definitely will not close. Almost every stubborn joint traces back to the row already laid, to the floor beneath, or to a grain of grit.
Step by step
- Stop tapping and take the plank out.Force is the wrong tool here and it damages the profile permanently. Withdraw the plank and start the diagnosis.
- Look into both profiles in good light.Run a fingernail along the groove. Debris is by far the most common cause and it is invisible from a standing position.
- Straighten the laid row.A long straight edge along the last full row. Correct any bow before adding to it, because a bow compounds with every row you add.
- Check the subfloor under the problem area.A straight edge across the subfloor in two directions. High spots stop joints closing and make closed joints click.
- Confirm the planks are all from the same range and batch.Check the packs. Mixed ranges do not join, and mixed batches sometimes do not either.
- Use the right block and the right angle.A tapping block matched to the profile, never a direct blow, and the correct insertion angle for the click system you have.
- Where the profile genuinely cannot be used, glue the joint.Under a door frame, against a fixed obstruction or at a final row that cannot be angled in, cut the profile off and glue that joint with a flooring adhesive. This is normal practice, not a bodge.
If it doesn't work
Joint will not close no matter how it is tapped
Cause: Debris in the groove — a chip of core material, a grain of grit or a bead of dried adhesive — Fix: Take the plank out, look into both profiles in good light, and clean them with a brush or a fingernail. This is the cause more often than any other.
End joint closes but springs open again as soon as you let go
Cause: The previous row is bowed away from straight, so the plank is being asked to close against a curve — Fix: Check the laid row with a long straight edge. Ease the whole row straight — a few taps sideways with a block against the wall side — and the joint will close.
Joint closes but the planks rock and the joint clicks underfoot
Cause: A high spot in the subfloor under the joint — Fix: Lift the planks and check the subfloor with a straight edge. Sand or plane the high point, or fill the hollow. The joint is fine; the floor beneath it is not.
Tongue crushed or a chip missing from the edge
Cause: Struck directly with a mallet, or forced flat before the tongue was seated — Fix: Discard the plank — a damaged profile will never hold. Use a proper tapping block and offer joints in at the correct angle.
Planks from a second pack will not join the first
Cause: Different batch with a slightly different profile, or a different range entirely — Fix: Check the range and batch on the packs. Different ranges do not join. Return the wrong pack rather than trying to make it work.
The whole floor keeps drifting and joints open behind you
Cause: No spacers at the wall, so the raft is sliding as you work — Fix: Fit spacers all round to hold the first rows against the wall while you lay, and remove them at the end. Without them the floor moves away from you every time you tap.
Joints close at the start of the day and not later
Cause: Planks that have grown after being brought in from cold storage, or a room that has warmed and humidified — Fix: Let the material acclimatise properly to the room before laying. Planks that are still moving will not lay to a consistent joint.